50 Members of Majlis Disqualified to Run for Re-Election

Eliminating Candidates for Political Views

Fars News Agency reported today that more than 50 members of the current Majlis, the Iranian parliament, have been disqualified to run for re-election in the upcoming March 2 parliamentary elections. It is not clear why the country needs to go through formal elections if the candidates, including the current members of parliament, can be vetted out for their political viewpoints.

The extent of elimination of candidates with different viewpoints is not yet clear. Fars reported today that 442 members and sympathizers of the “Deviationist” group, the supporters of President Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff Esfandia Rahim Mashaie, have registered for the elections. How many of them will be allowed to run was unclear.

Iran’s New Cultural Commissioner – Mashaie Snubbed

Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency reported today that President Ahmadinejad has appointed his minister of culture, Mohammad Hosseini, to concurrently serve as the government’s Cultural Commissioner.

The president’s controversial chief of staff, Esfaniar Rahim Moshaie, headed the Cultural Commission until now. The country’s ruling conservatives regard Mashaie as the leader of the “deviationists.” The derogatory term is used to describe Mashaie and other political allies of the president.

Ahmadinejad has been under intense pressure to remove Mashaie from all positions he held, particularly from the powerful post of the chief of staff. But there were no indications, however, that Ahmadinejad was also removing Mashaie from that post.

Impeachment Proceedings Against Ahmadinejad’s Ministers

Twenty-eight members of Majlis, Iran’s parliament, today started the impeachment proceeding against President Ahmadinejad’s finance minister, Shamseddin Hosseini. The parliamentarians are said to be unhappy about the government’s handling of a $3 billion bank fraud, the largest in Iran’s history. A motion to impeach Energy Minister Majid Namjou was also filed at Majlis. The parliamentarians are dissatisfied with the latter's performance in office.

The impeachment proceedings against the ministers manifest the determination of the conservative majority in Majlis to keep pressure on Ahmadinejad. They have already accused his political confidant and chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, of leading a “deviant” faction against the ideals of the Islamic Republic, regarding him as dangerous as the leaders of the 2009 Green Movement.

Iran Parliamentary Elections Set for March 2012

The campaign season for Iran parliamentary elections will begin on 24 December when the candidates will have one week to register to compete for Majlis seats. The hopefuls, however, will be vetted by the government’s election supervisory body, the Guardian Council, which will release its own list of approved candidates to compete in polls, now scheduled to be held on 2 March 2012.

The 2012 elections for the new Majlis (the Ninth Majlis) are the first since the controversial June 2009 presidential race that gave rise to the Green Movement. It is not clear if the reformists would field any candidates for the upcoming elections. The leaders of the Greens, Mr. Mousavi and Ayatollah Karrubi, have been kept isolated and under house arrest for more than eight months. Many other movement activists are in prison or freed on bail, unable to run. It is not also clear if the Guardian Council would even allow members of the opposition who were not jailed to run for Majlis.

Ironically, the supporters of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, himself a beneficiary of the controversial 2009 elections, might themselves be vetted out of running for Majlis by the Guardian Council. They are branded “deviationists” by the conservatives who have called for the arrest of their political leader, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff and son-in-law.

In some conservative circles, however, there are voices favoring tolerance towards the participation of a select group of reformist candidates. They fear a “one-party” election, conservative candidates running against other conservative candidates, would split their ranks and could lead to victories by the “deviationists,” if they were allowed to remain in race.

Chairman of Assembly of Experts Calls for Unity

Mahdavi-Kani Concerned over Upcoming Parliamentary Elections

Chairman of Iran's Assembly of Experts Ayatollah Mohammad Reza Mahdavi-Kani said today politicians should avoid creating tension ahead of the country's Majlis elections next March.

Mahdavi-Kani became the second senior Iranian official in as many days to raise concern over the upcoming parliamentary elections. Yesterday, the Minister of Intelligence Hojantoleslam Moslehi warned the nation of the formation of an alliance between what he termed “seditionists” (supporters of the Green Movement) and “deviationists” (circles close to President Ahmadinejad) to oppose the established order and the supreme leader and his policies.

"We should never abandon our friendship and mutual respect over group or individual aspirations," Ayatollah Mahdavi-Kani said. “We still can achieve some kind of unity in our shared aims, and the next elections should be the start for that," he added [Press TV, 7 September].

Mahdavi-Kani emphasized the critical importance of different political groups and factions not to let the elections turn into a “challenge to national security.”

"Every time there has been a political dispute in Iran, foreign powers have put more pressure on the country. They always take advantage of our internal disputes, but the moment they find out we are still united, they leave the scene," he explained.

More than 4000 candidates will be running for 290 seats in Majlis. But the eligibility of the candidates and their unwavering belief in upholding the established order must be proven before the Guardian Council, itself a key institution of the current establishment, can approve their candidacy.

Iran Intelligence Minister Warns of Attempts to Change Established Order

Alliance of Greens and Circles Close to Ahmadinejad Opposing Supreme Leader

Iran’s Minister of intelligence Hojatoleslam Moslehi addressing the Assembly of Experts said the “seditionists” (supporters and the Green Movement) and “deviationists” (a political circle close to President Ahmadinejad) have secretly formed an alliance for the upcoming parliamentary elections in early March. He called the new alliance the most complex problem facing the Nezam (“established order”).

“The Ministry of Intelligence is highly vigilant and it will not allow this alliance (of seditionists and deviationists) to derail the Majlis elections,” Hojatoleslam Moslehi said [ISNA, 6 September].

“The seditionists and the deviationists, each with its own peculiarities, are working to seriously undermine the established order and Velayat Faghih (the rule by supreme leader),

“The seditionists and the deviationists regard winning the parliamentary and the presidential elections as the only path to change the established order,

“They are capitalizing on people’s grievances, they are using scare tactics, and they are calling for normalization of relations with the US as means to find support among the public,

“They are opposing the policies of the supreme leader, emphasizing ultra nationalism, emphasizing so-called modernity, emphasizing the defeat of Islam and the cleric (in governing the country),

“By using a reformist language, they are trying to gather the support of all the reformists in the country,” Hojatoleslam Moslehi said [ISNA, 6 September].

Campaign Against “Deviationists” – Some Supporters Arrested

Iranian authorities have arrested a number of officials at the country’s Tourism Organization for their support of the “deviationist” movement, a term used against close associates of the sitting president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and his chief of staff and political confidant, Eskandar Rahim Mashaie. And the Judiciary’s First Deputy Director Hojatoleslam Ebrahim Raisi told reporters in Tehran today that the arrest of the “deviationists” will continue.

“The Judiciary, in combating this deviationist movement, will not have any hesitations and will not back off. Combating the deviationists is the legal duty of the Judiciary,” Raisi said [Kayhan, 12 July].

Another Judiciary spokesman said that some of the charges against the group were related to national security.

“Those arrested, in addition to economic and moral issues, have (national) security problems,” Gholamhossein Ejeie, the spokesman, said [Fars News Agency, 12 July]. “Some staff at the Organization of Tourism and Cultural Heritage and one person working for the national museum have been arrested,” Ejeie, added. He did not identify the detainees.

Hamid Baghaie, the current vice president for executive affairs, is also under investigation for “irregularities” during his tenure as the tourism chief. President Ahmadinejad, however, has drawn a red line against the authorities arresting the members of his cabinet and his inner circle.

Ahmadinejad Draws “Red Line” Against Judiciary

Iranian President Warns Against Arrests of His Associates

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today broke his silence on recent moves by judicial authorities against members of his cabinet and his close associates and wowed to defend them to the end. The cabinet is the “red line” that the authorities should not cross, he told reporters in Tehran, after chairing a meeting of his cabinet.

“I consider defending the cabinet as my duty. The cabinet is a red line and if they want to touch the cabinet, then defending it is my duty,” Ahmadinejad said [IRNA, 29 June].

“From our point of view these moves and pressures are political, (intended) to put pressure on the government,” said the president. “Our position is one of silence but if they want to continue it and under different pretexts want to accuse our colleagues in the cabinet, then I have a legal, national and ethical duty to defend my colleagues,” he added.

On Thursday, Mohammad Sharif Malekzadeh, a close associate of Ahmadinejad, was arrested on “financial charges” after he was forced to resign his post as deputy foreign minister. The Iranian parliament, Majlis, had threatened to impeach the foreign minister if Malekzadeh was not dismissed from his post.

The ultra conservatives in Iran have accused Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff and political confidant, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, and his close associates of working against the interests of the Islamic Republic, labeling them “deviationists.” Ahmadinejad has been under growing pressure to dump Mashaie and denounce and disassociate himself from the group. Influential members of the ruling conservative camp have also publicly threatened Ahmadinejad with impeachment if he does not end his association with the “deviationists.”

Aside from Malekzadeh, the judicial authorities have said in the past few days that they are investigating Ahmadinejad’s vice president, Hamid Baghaie, on charges of abusing power and that his arrest might be imminent. And that’s where Ahmadinejad was apparently drawing the “red line,” warning the authorities to take their hands off the senior members of his government.

The ‘Deviationists’ Accused of Smuggling Cigarettes into Iran – Fars News

The semi-official Fars News Agency on Sunday quoted an unnamed “senior official” accusing the Deviationists of controlling the trade in contraband cigarettes in the country.

“Some 45% of the cigarettes sold in the market are contrabands that are smuggled into the country illegally from Iraq and Pakistan… The Deviationist Group has formed companies in (those) countries to facilitate the illegal entry of the contrabands into Iran” [Fars News Agency, 6 June].

The Fars story, titled, ‘The Footprints of the Deviationists in Smuggling Zionist Contraband Cigarettes into the Country,’ is probably the first step by the conservatives to bring criminal charges against their political opponents, the group close to President Ahmadinejad and led by Mashaie. The reference to “Zionist Cigarettes” was also the first for the country’s semi-official news agency and the voice of conservatives in classifying tobacco based on the ideology of the cigarettes.

Slogan du Jour

“Mashaie Haya Kon, Ahmadi Ro Raha Kon!”
(Mashaie Shame on You, Leave Ahmadi Alone!)

A slogan used by Khamenei supporters during recent speeches by President Ahmadinejad. They accuse Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff and political confidant Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie of leading the “Deviationist” movement and call for his arrest. They also say that Ahmadinejad is under Mashie’s spell.

Growing Criticism and Threats Against Ahmadinejad

Hojatoleslam Ali Saeedi, Supreme Leader’s representative at IRGC, said today in Tehran that Ahmadinejad's government is infiltrated by “corrupt elements” and urged the Iranian president to return to the “right path.” He threatened Ahmadinejad that he would be dealt with if he continues crossing “red lines.”

“Unfortunately the government is inflicted by a great calamity, which is the presence of corrupt elements,” Saeedi said [Mehr News Agency, 28 May].

“I hope Ahmadinejad will turn back to the main path, having seen this much reaction from the people and from close confidantes… If a body like the executive or parliament wants to cross red lines or violate principles, it is the leadership that will warn them and, if ultimately the warnings are not effective, will confront them,” Saeedi added.

Saeedi’s harsh words and threatening language against Ahmadinejad and his supporters, the so-called “deviationists,” were a clear sign that Khamenei and the ruling clerics were paving the way to dump him as president unless he breaks away from Mashaie and company.

Friday Imam Attacks “Deviationists” for Belief in Iran Minus Islam - Update

Tehran’s Friday Prayer Imam today accused the “deviationist” movement led by Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, Ahmadinejad’s chief of staff and political confidant, of attempting to elevate nationalism and eliminate the role of religion in the Islamic Republic.

“There is no doubt that all of us love the Islamic nation. But worshipping Iran minus Islam is a traitorous act in the Islamic Republic,” Hojatoleslam Ahmad Khatami, the influential conservative cleric and today’s Friday Imam said [IRIBNews.ir, 27 May].

In the same sermon, however, the Friday Imam accused the “deviationist” movement of attempting to take advantage of the belief among Shias in Mahdi, the Hidden Imam, and efforts to prepare for his eventual reappearance (“Mahdaviat”) as a tool to advance their political agenda.

“During the Fetne (Green movement) of 2009, some people (Mousavi and Karrubi) hid behind Imam Khomeini’s stature to attack the Islamic Republic. In today’s Fetne, the (deviationists) are using Mahdaviat,” Ahmad Khatami added.

The Friday Imam did not explain the apparent contradiction in his indictment of the “deviationists” that a group determined to eliminate Islam in the Islamic Republic could also be using a belief in the imminent reappearance of the Hidden Imam to their political advantage.

UPDATE: Tehran's Friday Imams for each Friday are handpicked by the office of the supreme leader, and Hojatoleslam Ahmad Khatami (no relation to former president Mohammad Khatami) is regarded to be particularly close to the leader. This update is in response to email inquiries on the importance of Friday Imams.

Jannati Threatens the “Deviationists”

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, the chairmen of the Guardian Council in charge of vetting the candidates for the parliamentary and presidential elections in Iran, said during his sermons delivered at Friday Prayer in Tehran that the “deviationist group,” an insulting expression used by the conservatives in defining Ahmadinejad supporters, has started to spend large sums of money to buy votes for next year’s parliamentary elections.

“The Deviationist Group’s action (spending money to buy votes) is not hidden from anyone. In due time and if necessary, people will take care of this group” [Fars News Agency, 13 May].

The accusation, coming from the chairman of the body in charge of selecting “qualified” candidates for Majlis, coupled with the thinly-veiled threat that the conservatives will “take care of” the group in due time, could be the first major move by the conservatives to disqualify candidates who support Ahmadinejad and his chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie.

The Deviationists

The managing director of Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency Hamid Reza Moqadam-Far today offered a detailed description of the ideological and political beliefs of the “deviationist” group, used to describe an inner circle of politicians and thinkers around president Ahmadinejad, led by his chief of staff Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie. Below are the highlights of Moqadam-Far's speech (to read the complete speech in Farsi, click here).

• The Deviationist views are based on ancientism (the belief that Persia’s ancient times were better than the present); Iranism and the Iranian school (as opposed to Islamism and the Islamic school); Norouz (Persian new year) celebrations; and nationalism.
• The Deviationist understanding of the concept of velayat (Islamic governance) is void of Velayat-e Faghih (wherein senior Islamic scholars exercise temporal authority) and the obligations to follow the Vali Faghih (supreme leader).
• The Deviationist group uses Mahdaviat (the belief in and efforts to prepare for the Mahdi, the Shia’s Hidden Imam) for its own advantage and offer a weak and simplistic understanding of the belief in the Hidden Imam and the concept of waiting and preparing for his arrival.
• The Deviationists ignore the importance of Marjas (senior ayatollahs) and offer a belief in Islam without the clergy. The group’s deviations on this issue are manifested in their political, social and cultural behavior.
• The Deviationist group believes in “humanist Islam,” centered on the individual, as opposed to a religion centered on God and the Islamic faith.
• The Deviationist group believes in social justice centered on equality. They also offer a positive interpretation of modernity as opposed to traditionalism.

Moqadam-Far said the group’s deviationist line is unprecedented in the history of the Islamic Republic. He emphasized their lack of belief in velayat faghih and the supreme leader during the preparation period for the imminent arrival of the Mahdi and their ideological belief in gaining the ultimate political power in the country.

Blogger Note: The expressions “deviationist” was first used in Stalinist era and later by Mao in defining the “left” and “right” deviationists.